San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-05
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HALF A TR j 7 H .
BI THE DUCHESS. VI

the PITY Now run on, II you are a-gOin',
aud don't be late home"
II am going; but, Molly" said Valerie,
with perplexed look in her beautiful eyes,
why do you say it is pityH
why do say what's PITY" returned
Molly who used the freedom of an old and
fail lful servant, that you're engaged to
W. Charters? Why, because you're too
yUlg TO know your own mind, and you
o.c't to do better. Now, amt goin to
sry no more Run of, missy"
Y lerie turned slowly, and went out
thoughtfully. Again that puzzled, wistful
feel .ng came over her, as ut the stile the
@, her day, and more than once since. Was
SIC too young to know her own mind? But
~, no, it was wicked to have such doubt
: e did love Louis dearly, dearly.
) e put on her hat, and ran out down
the long garden into the lane beyond, and
started off at a brisk pace for bennington,
wishing that Louis could be with her; but
his fathers place, where he lived, was two
miles the other side Of Wexford, and Va
lerie did not feel inclined to defer her visit
to bennington.
II is certain that If any of the officers
were about in the streets of the town, this
girl in the white serge, with her glorious
golden hair, her great soft eyes and eNquis-
itc face, would create no small sensation
amung them. But Valerie, In her innO-
cpnce, only thought of seeing, not of being
seen; and went on with her light, dancing
step, needless Of the burning heat that
should have warned her, not iOticing the
gathering clouds on the horizon.
The way through the fields and lanes
was pleasant, and Valerie's thoughts went
dancing on before her, so that she was
blind and deaf to external things in man.
ner rare with her; for she was familiar with
every bird that few and every tree that
grew, and every flower that blossOmed.
Presently she began to sing, in her fresh,
sweet young voice:
"Wn We gang to the hollands, Lizzie Lindsayi
Will We gang to the hollands wi mer
Will We gang to the hollands, Lizzie Lindsay.
Nv bride and my darling to bef'
Here she stopped and knelt to gather a
bunch Of wild hyacinths that grew by the
stile she was about to cross into a lane be-
You'd. AS she rose, putting the flowers in
to her dress, she was startled by a low
rumbling sound, that made her cast a hasty
glance westward.
A vast bank of inky, lurid clouds stretch
ed to right and left as far as the eye could
see, sweeping upward and onward at
rate that must obscure the whole arch OF
heaven in another twenty minutes; and
even as the girl paused, with frightened
throb of her young heart, the thunder roll
ed out again, louder and longer.
Valerie's position was one of considera-
BILE danger There was no shelter. she
knew. nearer than bennington on the one
side, and Wexford on the other: and behind
her were fields and lanes, bordered by
hedges intersected with trees; before her,
| n lane lined by high hedges.
Rut only a moment did she pause for
| Donnipoton wac now nearer to ba, than
Wexford nv nearly half a mile: and a great
mart of the way to Wexford was tbrourb
| fields. which heavy rains would speedily
convert into auagmire: whereas, the re-
mainder of the route to bennington was
| bv road,
Valerie almost vaulted over the stile, and
began running along the land beyond; but,
as she ran. she felt big drop come pat on
her hat: then another and another, and
| then there was roll of thunder, that seem
ed to crash right over her head, like salvo
| of artillery
1t deafened her to another sound that
| was coming on behind her, the clatter of
| horses hOofs, and a mans voice shouting
| to her: but as the thunder died away. and
| the girl dropped into a walk, breathed by
her running, she heard the swift hoof-
| strokes, and IN the same instant the voice
| shouted to her again.
She stopped and turned, with q fash OF
| hope in her heart, and saw, only a few
| wards from her now, bay horse, coming
| on at a swift gallop, ridden by tall man,
| wearing a short military coat, which, as it
| flew back, showed the CLEAN of the scarlet
| uniform beneath.
| In that one glance Valerie saw that the